How to upgrade to Windows 10 as Windows 7 support nears its end

Microsoft will end support for Windows 7 from January 14. Post this deadline, technical assistance and software updates for Windows 7 will no longer be rolled out. Microsoft had already ended mainstream support for Windows 7 in 2015, but it decided to put a final halt to the OS.

Microsoft recommends users move to Windows 10 soon since the older OS version will be prone to viruses and malware. Users who are still on Windows 7 will have to upgrade to the latest version unless they're okay with the potential risks to their systems. If you've been wondering how to upgrade to Windows 10, here's a guide.

Existing Windows 7 users can upgrade to Windows 10 by purchasing the official version from Microsoft's online store. Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro are available where the former is capable enough for personal use.

Windows 7 is an old OS version which was first released in 2009. This also means that devices running Windows 7 are most likely old devices which aren't compatible for Windows 10. The only advice here would be to upgrade your systems first and purchase one that supports Windows 10. You can still check if your device meets the minimum requirements for Windows 10 upgrade.

-1GHz or faster processor/SoC.

-1GB RAM (32-bit) or 2GB( 64-bit)

-32GB hard disk space for 64-bit or 16GB for 32-bit.

-Graphics card - DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver.

-800x600 resolution display.

Microsoft also had a free upgrade to Windows 10 offer which expired on July 29, 2016. But some users could still get the free Windows 10 upgrade through a workaround. There's no confirmation if this is still available but interested users can try and get the Windows 10 free upgrade.